The excitement in Gurdeep Mehndi’s voice is palpable when he talks about his new track, Sajri. The song carries forward the traditional elements of Punjabi music while blending it with a modern, urban sound. Composing it was “the real challenge,” says the singer, recalling the months-long process. “It took me more than three months, with one-and-a-half months just for the audio to come together. The song is Indian raga–based. I had to figure out how to bring that into today’s sound. When I locked a loop with sarangi, dholak, kick, and snare, I knew that was enough,” he shares.
Daler Mehndi and Lauren Gottlieb
Gurdeep’s music differs dramatically from that of singer and his father Daler Mehndi. What do they have in common? The discipline, he says, and the fact that they both keep Punjabi music at the core of their work. With his previous numbers Don’t Be Shy in Bala (2019), Inipu, and now Sajri, Gurdeep intends to reinvent local sounds. “Punjabi music has always had a vibe. The lyrics and compositions have been hits from the beginning. What keeps changing is the music around it — sometimes it leans into reggaeton, sometimes hip-hop, and at other times Western beats. But no matter what, that Punjabi essence always stays strong.”
For Gurdeep, choosing the right collaborator for Sajri was crucial. Lauren Gottlieb became his top choice. Gurdeep reasons, “Lauren has been working in India for a long time, but she is from the US. She was the only one who could do justice to Sajri, not just with her moves and her look, but with how supportive she was — taking care of the shoot, direction, styling, and the vibe.”
